Locking device



Feb. 2, 1932. ROBERTS 1,843,785

LOCKING DEVICE Filed March 9, 1929 INVENTOR Loren/ :03 3056/2 52 BY Mai.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES LORENZO D. ROBERTS, OF SHAWANO, WISCONSIN LOCKING DEVICE Application filed March 9,

This invention relates to improvements in calculating machines, a particular purpose being to provide a locking device for certain slides or slide members, and it consists'of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rod upon which certain guides are assembled for the purposes of permitting the guides to adjust themselves and to prevent them from either falling over sidewise or out of the machine when the latter is tipped down toward the right in removing or inserting number-slides, and also for the additional important purpose of aiding the locking device in its function.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which 7 Figure 1 is a plan view of the calculating machine illustrating both the improved locking device and guide rod,

7 Figure 2 is a detail plan view illustrating the locking device moved up to a position wherein it looks the slides and guides in an adjusted position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the looking bar,

Figure 4 is a erspective View of one of the coacting guide ars,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1 illustrating the position of the guide rod in reference to the nearest guide bar.

Reference to Patents 917 ,134, April 6, 1909, 990,779, April 25, 1911, and 1,608,035, November 28, 1926, each granted to Lorenzo D. Roberts will disclose a calculating machine in which certain number-slides appear in alternation with guide bars between which the former are slid in effecting certain number combinations in a calculating operation. Both the number-slides and guide bars are loose, and although this does not spoil given number combinations in the ordinary use of the machine, yet it has developed that to firmly hold both the slides and bars will be of material contribution toward the general efiiciency of the machine.

1929. Serial No; 345,745.

Hence it is herein proposed toprovide a locking device for the number-slides and guide bars. Reference is made to the drawings. The base of the calculating machine is designated 10. This comprises a frame or rectangular shallow box, open at the front or face thereof and having an end 11 that in practice is hinged so that it can be let down.

A stay bar 12 at the right end of the machine slides and permit individual movement of the latter without danger of disturbing the positions of other slides. This applicationis not concerned either with the mode of applying certain numbers to the slides or. in the manner in which they are operated in performing a calculation. This is disclosed in the foregoing patents;

It is sufiicient to say that the number-slides 16 are adjustable in the channels between the guides 15. lVhen the adjustments are arrived at a locking device comprising a bar 17 is pushed in one direction in the frame. One side of the frame has an incline 18. One end of the locking bar has a wedge end 19 that is intended to ride upon the incline 18 and bodily push the entire assembly of guides 15 and number-slides 16 over toward the opposite side of the frame, thus firmly locking all in position.

For the latter purpose the wedge end 19 carries a finger piece 20. It is by this that a the locking bar is conveniently slid back and forth. The number-slides. have similar finger pieces 21 for the same purpose.

A rod 22, fixed in the base or frame 10 at the left end, has the guides 15 assembled thereupon for the purposes of preventing the guides from dropping over sidewise in the frame and from sliding out when the machine is tilted to the right when changing number-slides.

The guide rod assists the action of the locking bar 17. The latter is of such a length that it practically extends under the entire assembly of slides and guides. Thus when the Wedge end 19 is made to ride upon the incline 18 the left extension of the locking bar will advance under the foregoing assembly. By virtue of having the guides 15 assembled upon the rod 22, it follows that the guides will move upwardly as a uniform body. Were it not for the-guide rod the guides might slightly slip out of position.

It is regarded as a useful mechanical expedient to reinforce the left ends of the guides 15. These, as already stated are thin. The provision of the necessary hole 23 for thereception of the guide rod 22 might leave "the adjoining'end Weak so that it is herein .proposed to ind a Wire 24: around the end of "the guide so as to prevent splitting.

In' operation it Will be understood that the The various guides 15 loose so as to permit adjustment of the latdesired number combinations.

ing ibar 17 will be slid to the left, causing the Wedge end 19 to ride upon the incline 18 and thus lock the guide and slide assembly osition.

hile the construction and arrangement of the improved calculating machine and locking devicetherefor is that of a generally 35 preferred form,obviously modifications and changes may be made wlthout departing "from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims. I cla1m:

1. In a calculating machine, a guide rod,

a'guide' having one end loosely connected With the rod for lateral adaptation in the machine, a number-slide longitudinally ad- 7 justable along the guide, a Wedge bar situated longitudinally of the guide and num ber 'slide andhaving'a Wedge end, and means in the machine upon Which the Wedge end 3 is movable to shift the Wedge bar and numher-slide laterally of the machine and the guide along theguide rod.

2. A calculating machine comprising a frame including a base which has an inclined portion, a plurality of number-slides and alternate guides arranged in the frame paral- "lel. to the base; and a bar movable between the base and nearest guide,said bar having a wedge to ride upon said inclined portion.

3. A calculating. machine comprising a shallowbox having an inclined-portion on one side nearone end, a guide rod; situated transversely of thebox near the other end,

I a plurality of alternate number-slides and .guides-in the box in parallelism to said side,

.said guides'beingslidably mounted on the rod, and a bar movable between saidside 

